Hand-truck



1. JWELL.

A HAND TRUCK, Y APPLICATION FILED MA Y2I, 1920..

1,367,396. y Patented 119111, 1921.

l la

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STA'llilS QFFICE.

JOHN JEVYELL, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

HANDTRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application led May 21, 192D. Serial No. 383,268.

, such as are commonly used in the handling of freight about warehouses and the like and has special reference to a truck of this character having power storing and operating means.

The object is to provide simple mechanical means whereby when the truck is oper ated down grade `in either direction with a considerable load thereon, energy will be mechanically stored therein,.for subsequent use in propelling the truck, and, at the same time, acting as a break to the truck when descending such grade. Another object is to provide means whereby the powerthus stored may be subsequently utilized at any desired time for operating the truck in either direction. Other objects and advantages of the specific structure hereinafter described will appear therein.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, and in which like reference characters `indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a' bottom plan view of one of my improved trucks;

Fig. 2 is Aa central vertical section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.:

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2, looking toward the wheels of the truck;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of one of the handles of the truck taken on the line 53H5, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 2, looking downwardly. p

" The chassis of the truck comprises the side members l and suitable cross-beams or members 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which are common to such structures and the side members 1 terminate in suitable handles 7 and 8 by which the truck is manually operated. To the under edges of the side members 1, and adjacent to lthe end opposite to that of the handles 7 and 8, is journaled the transverse shaft 9, which iixedly carries the wheels l() of the trucln'all of which are known to beV common in the art.

My invention comprises the following mechanism: i

Upon the shaft 9 are mounted two spaced beveled gears 11 and 12, they being fixed to a sleeve 13 surround-ing the `shaft and splined thereupon as shown at 14, s o that they are readily susceptible of reclprocal adjustment upon the sha-tt 9. The sleeve 13 extends some little distance beyond the gear l2`as at 15 and has formed thereupon a projcctingndisk or wheel 16 which is engaged `upon either side thereof by rollers 17 pivotally carried as `at 18 upon the wider end 19 of the lever 20 which is pivoted at 21 to the under side ofthe cross-beam 4, the operating end of the lever extending horizontally of the adjacent side member 1 of the chassis to a point beyond the extreme end cross-beam, as at 22, where it is accessible to the operator of the truck and at which point it is held in any one of three predetermined positions by the notched plate 23 attached to and depending from the crossbeam 6. Thus, when the end 22 of the lever from and when the end 22 oi the lever 2O is l -in the centermost notch of the plate 23 neither one of the gears 11 or 12 will be engaged with the gear 24, and the shaft upon which the former are mounted, which is the axle 9 of the truck, will be freeto rotate in either' direction resulting in the truck acting in every respect as a common hand truck.

The gear 24 is fixedly attached to the `shaft 25, the latter being journaled on the under side of the cross-pieces 3 and 4. Surrounding the end of the shaft 25 toward the handles 7 and 8 is a telescopic sleeve 2G carrying upon its inner end a beveled gear 27 and also on its outer end a ratchet wheel 28, both being formed integral with the sleeve. and that portion of the shaft 25 snrrounded by the sleeve has an axle hole 29 therein into which is reciprocally mounted the rod 8O carrying a cross-pin or key 3l which acts asa 'clutch member for engaging or disengaging the sleeve 26 to or from rotative action with the shaft 25, the key 31 extending diametrically .through the shaft 25 in the slot 32 therein.

The end 33, of the sleeve 26, which eX- 'tends inwardly p'astthe gear 27,'has formed therein a diametrically disposed slot, which, when registering with the slot 32, may be engaged by the key 3l when the rod Y30 is drawn outwardly for such engagement and 'by'which action the sleeve 26 with its accompanying `parts becomes non-rotatably attached te the shaft 25.

vIn suitable 4bearingsB/i and 35 is mounted vthe yertic'ally disposed shaft 36 which carries the fiat spiral spring 37, the inner end of which is securely fixed to the shaft 36 as 1s customary in such devices and the Youter end 88 is pivotally attached as at 39 to the short end of the L-shaped lever 40 which is pivotallymounted at 4l in the cross-beam 4.

A 'spring 37 is shown somewhat redwed in vsize for convenience of illustration, but in practice it will, when expanded, comparatively ill the space surrounding same within the truck.

Upon the lower end of the shaft 3G is mountedthe large ybeveled gear 42 which mesheswith the smaller gear 27 on the sleeve 26, which, when the spring is being wound up, is driven by the gear 27, but when the spring is imparting motion to the truck, the gear 27 will be drivenby the gear 42. A 'pan or plate 43 is installed intermediate of the gear 42 and spring 'S7 to suitably house the latter. Forrecipro'ating the rod 30, I have shown pivotally attached thereto in any desired manner at 44 the long arm of the bell-crank lever y45 which is pivotally mou'ntedjat 46 upon a suitable support `or i varm 47, the short arm of the bell-crank 45 being pivotally connected as at 48 to the link 49,'pivotally connected at 50 to the L-shaped extension 51 of the lever 52 which is pivoted Aat 53 on the under side ofl the cross-beam 5 and extends centrally to a convenient position intermediate of the handles 7 and S as at 54. Thus when the end 54 ofthe lever is moved either one way or the other the shaft 5 0 will be Vcorrespondingly reciprocated resulting in the locking or unlocking engagement of the sleeve'26 with the shaft 25. 4

.Y On the eXtreme end of the shaft 30 and just outside .of'thepivotal connection 44 of the bell-crank 45 therewith is pivotally at tached as at 55 a short link 5G which at its opposite end is pivotally attached as at 57 to the like, but somewhat larger link 5S, the opposite end of whiah is pivotally mounted as at 59 to the journal bearing` GO of the sleeve 26. The link 5S is so petitioned in relation to the ratchet wheel 2S as to act as a pawl for coperative engagement therewith when the shaft 30 is thrust inwardly to its limit which is the reverse position to that shown in Figs. l. and 2 of the drawings, such position causing the pivotal point 57 of said link to be drawn inwardly toward the shaft by the shortening of the distance between the pivotal points 55 and 59, and, when the shaft 30 is fully extended, the distance between the points 55 and 59 will be lengthened, thus -releasing the link 58 from its pawllike engagement with the ratchet wheel y28. A iioating L-shaped lever Gl is pivoted at 62 to any convenient stationary portion of the truck chassis, the lower end of which rests against the outer edge of the link 5S and is actuated thereby, while the upper end of the lever Gl impinges against the elongated flat pawl G3 pivotally attached to the chassis at 64and cngageable with thc ratchet wheel 2S as at G5, said pawl being held normally down by a suitable spring (Sli, or by gravity as desired, it having a slot 67 in its free end through which extends the pin G8, acting as a guide for said free end of the pawl. The upward or discngaging movement of the pawl from the ratchet wheel 28, as is evident, is accomplished by the upward movement of the short arm of the l..shaped lever Gl, and which, occurs only when the pawl link 5S is swung outwardly from said ratchet wheel.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there are provided two means for engagement with the ratchet wheel 28 to insure its being positively held stationary when the .spring 37 is wound up and the lever 52 is so connected as to hold the sleeve 2G, with its accompanying parts, in non-rotatable enffagement with the shaft 25 when in the b b 7 Josition shown in Fifrs. l and 2 of the draw- C3 ings. At this time if the lever 20 is adjusted to the position shown in l? ig. l, the gear 12 on the shaft 9 will engage the gear 24 on the shaft 25, and, if the truck is being `operated backwardly as for example down vgrade and loaded, the spring 37 vwill be woundup, the ratchet wheel 28 being rotated in a backward direction unaffected by its cooperative pawls. As the truck advances and the winding of the spring proceeos the centermost turns of the spring will be tightened irst, that is to say, the maximum strain on the wound spring will come upon the point of contact 39 thereof with the lever 40 only after the spring is fully wound, and when that `lpoint of stress is reached, the

(i El message* lever 40 will be actuated'with suiicient force to counteract the pulling strain ot the contractile helical spring S9 which .normally holds the lever 52 in engaged position in respect to the shaft 25 and the gears 27. The connection of the lever tl() to the end ot the lever 52, as indicated at 70, is such as to permit'ot the change of longitudinal relation of the two levers. `When the lever 52 is thus automatically operated by the maximum tightening ot the spring, the in Ward thrust of the shaft 30, in consequence thereof, through its connection with the end of the lever as be'lore described, will release the sleeve 26 'from non-rotatable engagement on the shaft 25 and simultaneously bring the pawls 58 and 63 into holding en* gagement with the ratchet wheel 28 and thus retain the spring` 37 in its wound up position ready for subsequent employment at the will of the operator. This will, as is evident, release the truck axle 9 trom positive engagement with any part of the mechanism except that either one of the gears 11 and 12 may remain in mesh relation with the gear 24: and idly operate lthe shaft 25.

Now, if it so happens that it is desirable to operate the truclr in a :torn-'ard direction with its load alter the spring 37 has been thus wound up, it is evident that il the gear 12 is lett in engagement with the gear 24 and the lever 52 is manually thrown back to its original position freeing the pawls from the ratchet wheel 28 and lining the ,crear 27 with the shaft 2h, the unwinding tendency ot the spring;- will impart motion and power to the truck to the limit ot the action or the spring. On the contrary, il it is desired to utilize the power of the wind ing spring' in driving; the truck backwardly, the lever 20 is so adjusted as to bring the `rear 11 into meshed engagement with the l.dear 24, when the lever 52 may be adjusted to apply spring action to the axle 9 in a backward direction. Or if the truck may chance to be operated forwardly loaded. and down grade, the sprine be wound as belore described with the I.sears 11 and 24 in mesh and airain its stored energy used as desired in subsequently propelling; the `truck in either direction.

Adjacent the :tree end of the lever 52 and against the outer lace of the cross-beam 6 is pivotally mounted at 71 a lever control ling member 72` it being a flat metal bar having notches 73 and 74e cut in the under eda'e thereof and in which notches the lever 52 may be engaged alternately.

On the inside of the handle 7 is pivotally mounted at 76 a thumb lever 77 in convenient proximity to one hand of a person operatinn' the truck and by which the free end of the lever 72 may be lowered at any time 'lor positive engagement with the lever 54,

i there being a link 78, pivoted at 79, connected at 80, tov the lever 77, and engaging the free end elB the lever 72 for raising1 and lowering saine. A. hat leaf spring is shown at tor holding the pivotally united ends ot the lever 77 and link 7 Sdepressed which normally holds the tree end ol the member 72 upwardly and from engagement with the lever 52, thus allowing the latter freedom to act in either direction, it being normally held adjacent the notch 74 by the action of the spring 69 as before described.

By this means it is seen that the manually operative end 54C oi the lever 52 may be held in either' notch 73 or 74 oit the member 72 for operating the truck in either direction. by spring power or for winding up4 the sprintf when the truck is going' in either direction, and as before stated, the springr 37 cannot become overwound due to the fact that the action ot the lever 40 on the innermost end of the lever 52 will counteract the holding oilice of the spring,r 69 and thus throw the winding mechanism ont of gear and at the same time hold the tension of the spring 37 by locking against rotation the ratchet wheel 28 on the sleeve 26.

While l have thus described one practical embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having,r thus described my inventiomwhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1'. The combination with a two-wheeled, single axle hand truck having a pair of handles for operating same, of a spiral spring carried by the truck adjacent the axle therco'li, means intermediate of the spring and the axle whereby the spring may be wound up by the motion of the truck in either direction and subsequently the latter be oper-- ated by the spi-ingr when desired, and means intermediate of the handles of the truck whereby to control the operation of the spring.

2. The combination with a twowheeled hand truck of the class described having,r a single axle and both wheels rigidly fixed to the axle, of a sleeve reciprocally mounted upon said axle and carrying two opposed beveled gears, a shaft carried by the truck centrally thereof and at right angles to the axle, beveled gears adjacent each end of said shaft, one for engagement with either of the beveled nears on the sleeve and the other 'for transmitting' power from said shaft, a second shaft disposed at right angles to the first mentioned shaft and intermediate of its ont-er endand the axle, a beveled rear on said shaft meshingr with the power transmitting gear of the first mentioned shaft, a Spiral spring on said second mentioned shaft for storing energy imparted Ell Y thereto,'rnea'ns for shiftingthe sleeve on `the In testimony hereof I hereunto eix my axle for engaging the first mentioned shaft signature in the presence of two witnesses. with either of the gears upon the sleeve or JOHN JEVEI L neither of them, and means for controlling 5 the action of the-spring either in transmit- 1Witnesses:

ting power or reserving power substan- S. C. BRoNsoN, tally as described. S. GEO. STEVENS. 

